Diabetes distress and self-management in primary care in Singapore: explorations through illness perception

Background: Singapore was recently ranked the second highest in the percentage of diabetic individuals among developed countries’ populations. This study explored possible associations among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients’ perception of having this condition (illness perception), diabetes-related distress, and diabetes self-management with a view to understanding potentially useful emphases in health education and counselling for these patients in primary health care.Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 75 adults diagnosed with T2DM at five primary care clinics under National Healthcare Group Polyclinics completed three research questionnaires in English and Mandarin which assessed the participants’ perception of their own diabetic condition, experience of diabetes distress, and self-management behaviour.Results: Illness perception has specific dimensions (identity, consequence, and emotional representation) that correlated with specific aspects of diabetes distress (emotional burden, interpersonal distress, regimen distress, and overall diabetes distress). Further, overall diabetes distress correlated negatively with dietary control, physical activity, and overall self-management.Conclusions: Patients with TSDM may benefit most from health education and guidance that aim to reduce both their perception of diabetes’ impact on their lives and emotional reactivity in managing their diabetic condition.

The Effect of Nursing Information on the Women's Emotional Adaptation Undergoinga Hysterectomy / 여성건강간호학회지

The purpose of this Quasi-experimental design was to assess the effects of a hysterectomy on women's emotional response and ultimately, to develop a nursing protocol recommending nursing education for women undergoing a hysterectomy. The subjects at D university hospital receiving a hysterectomy,( for benign gynecological disease) were invited to participate in the study. Subjects who agreed to participate were allocated into control or experimental groups. Each group consisted of 30 women. The subjects emotional adaptation was surveyed through mood questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SAS program. The findings of the study are as follows: In the post test, the "experimental group" reported higher emotional adaptation than the "control group". Between pre and post testing, the "experimental group" showed significant improvement in emotional response; the "control group" did not. In conclusion, allocating nursing information to women both before and after undergoing a hysterectomy was confirmed as an effective nursing intervention for promoting women's emotional adaptation. Therefore, we propose a nursing protocol should be adapted recommending nursing education for women undergoing a hysterectomy.